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Parents, students and counselors urge board to keep school counselors amid staffing changes
Summary
Multiple students, school counselors and union representatives told the board that recent summer resignations and proposed shifts toward outside vendors threaten students’ mental-health support; the board approved a $1.1 million PVPSA contract amendment but speakers said staffing gaps remain unresolved.
A stream of parents, students and school-based counselors told the Pajaro Valley Unified School District board on Tuesday that proposed cuts and summer staff departures have left some campuses understaffed and at higher risk for mental-health crises.
"When I got back to the hospital, I was expected to catch up with all the school work I had missed," said Mark, a student who addressed trustees about struggling to access a 504 plan after a hospitalization. "I never want any student to go through the hardship I did." The student urged the board to prioritize access to counseling and wraparound support.
Several credentialed counselors described high caseloads and day-to-day crisis work. "Relying solely…
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